Safety light



W. W- RUIVISEY.

SAFETY LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 1921.

Patemed Aug. 8, 1922.

UNHTED STATES PATENT QFFECZEO SAFETY LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug 8, 1922.

Application filed April 16, 1921. Serial No. 461,834.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. RUMsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Visconsin, have invented'a new and useful Improvement in Safety Lights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in traflic indicators and it was particularly designed for use at the center of a street crossing for the purpose of indicating to automobile drivers and others the center of the thoroughfare so that the drivers will be enabled to make a square turn and comply with municipal ordinances governing the direction of movement of vehicles in turning corners at the intersection of two crossing streets.

The primary object of the invention is to furnish an illuminative trafiic indicator which may be placed on the street surface andis so constructed that rays of light will be directed to all points around the indicator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strong, durable construction of this character which will withstand, without damage, passage of a heavy truck over the same and which will not be liable to cause injury to a motor vehicle or its occupants should the vehicle strike the indicator.

A still further object of the invention is to furnish a device of this character which be substituted for a manhole cover so that the trahic indicator may be used in connection with the manhole where said manholes are located at the center of the street crossing.

Another object is to provide a traflic indicator in which the glass through which the light rays are directed, is protected to a great extent so that said glass will not be injured when a vehicle contacts with the indicator or passes over the same.

A still further object is to furnish the indicator with a removable hand-hole cover so that an electric lamp bulb placed in the easing may be readily removed and replaced when desired.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is a side View partly in section of one form of my improved indicator.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of anotherform of the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, 1 designates a base member which in the present instance is provided with a flat bottom 2 and a vertical cylindrical wall 3, the latter being provided at its upper edge with an outwardly directed annular flange 4 provided with threaded apertures 5. Anelectric lamp socket 6 is mounted preferably at the center of the bot tom 2 and carries a bulb 7 which furnishes the illumination for the traffic indicator. An aperture 8 is provided in the bottom 2 to permit the passage of an electric conduit into the base member 1.

This base member is designed to be arranged at the center of crossing streets and is adapted to be imbedded in the concrete or other paving material with which the streets are surfaced. Where a manhole is arranged at the center of the streets, this base member 1 may be substituted for the manhole cover. Resting on the base member 1 is a substantially dome-shaped casing 5) having a dome 1O furnished with a depending cylindrical skirt 11 provided at its lower edge with an outwardly extending an nular flange 12 adapted to engage the flange 4 and to be secured thereto by suitable fastening means such as screws 13, the threads of which engage the threads of the apertures 5. The cylindrical skirt 11 is provided with a series of apertures 14 which are preferably rectangular in shape so that square or rectangular panes of glass 15 may be used in connectiontherewith. A seat 16 for each pane of glass is provided and a securing plate 17 is employed for holding each glass sheet in position. Each of these plates 17 consists of an open frame and is secured in place by suitable fastening means such as screws 18. Packing gaskets 19 are preferably of triangular shape and rest-in similarly shaped seats formed, in the dome an open frame 21 being provided for each pane of glass 20 and the frames being secured in place by suitable fastening means such as screws 22. The last mentioned panes of glass are also provided on opposite sides with packing gaskets 23.

The central portion of the dome is provided with a hand-hole which is normally closed by a cover plate 24 secured in place by fastening means 25.

. The glass panes 15 and 20 are to be formed of some strong glass substance which will withstand great weights and in use these panes will be protected to a great extent by the frames 17 and 21, as the devices will be of such size that an automobile wheel passing over one of the glass panes will be supported by the dome rather than by the glass sheet and consequently the passage of an automobile over the traffic indicator will not damage the glass sheets.

A packing ring or gasket 26 is preferably arranged between the flanges 4 and 12 to maintain a water tight joint between these parts.

In the form of my invention shown in Figure 2 the construction of the base member 1 is substantially the sameas that of the base member 1 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, but the dome or upper portion 'of the indicator is slightly modified. In this form the dome-shaped member 9 is provided at its lower edge with a flange 12 to facilitate its seatin on and attachment to the base member. 11 this instance also the dome is provided with radially arranged cylindrical projections 30 which are designed to support glass lens 31. Packing gaskets 32 are employed in connection with the lens to provide a resilient seating for the same and to prevent moisture or the like from entering the casing, and a slot 33 is formed in each of the projecting members 30 to permit moisture to drain from the exterior surface of the lens. It will be noted that each lens is arranged at an incline relawill prevent the wheels of any vehicle passing over the indicator from exerting their weight on the lens of the device.

I believe the description taken in connection with the drawing will enable any one skilled in the art to construct and use the invention, and I am aware that various changes may be made in the construction disclosed. without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a traflic indicator, a hollow body member provided with a domed top portion, said domed top beingv provided with a plurality of windows and an opening adapted to serve as a hand-hole, said opening being relatively smaller than'said domed top, said body being provided also with an opening in its bottom wall for receiving electrical conductors, ahand-hole cover plate, means connecting the cover plate with the domed top for detachably securing the former to the latter, and alight mounted within said body member.

2. In a roadway signal, a base imbedded in the roadway, a dome-like cover, means engaging the margins of said base and cover for demountably securing the cover to the base, a plurality of symmetrically arranged apertures in the cover, a hand-hole in the cover substantially centrally thereof, a removable closure .for said hand-hole, transparent means associated with said apertures, and an illuminating device beneath said cover. I

3. In a roadway signal, a base imbedded in the roadway, a dome-like cover, means engaging the margins of said base and cover for demountably securing the cover to the base, a plurality of symmetrically arranged apertures in the cover provided with transparent closing means, a hand-hole in said cover and a closure for said hand-hole, and an illuminating device under said cover.

4. In a roadway signal. a hood having a side wall and a substantially concavo-convex top wall provided with a circumferential series of symmetrically arranged apertures, a hand hole in said top wall substantially centrally located therein, a removable closure for said hand hole, means on said side wall for securing the hood to a supporting surface, and transparent means associated with said hood.

, 5. In a roadway signal, a hood substan;

tially eoneavo-convex in cross-section and In testimony whereof, I aflix my signaprovided with a central opening, a plurality ture in the presence of two witnesses at 85 of symmetrically arranged apertures in said ()neida St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

hood about said opening a removable closure for the central opening, a base on WILLIAM RUMSEY' which said hood is adapted to be mounted, WVitnesses:

and means arranged about the bottom edge VV1L IAM E. BURKE,

of the hood for securing same to said base. HAROLD G. OLSEN. 

